Tag: mercy

Serving others is one of the biggest underlying themes of the Bible. Throughout the old and new testament, there are so many examples of people laying down their lives for…

Serving others is one of the biggest underlying themes of the Bible. Throughout the old and new testament, there are so many examples of people laying down their lives for others. In the new testament especially, we can read about all the different ways Jesus served his disciples, his followers, and so many others that he encountered.

The Bible is filled with SO many lessons that teach us how we should act and live. The lessons that teach us selflessness and love for others are the ones we should always take note of. The world could always use a little more love, so why don’t we show God’s love by extending a hand toward others!

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” – Galatians 5:13

God gives us free will to do what we want in life. He doesn’t force us one way or the other, instead he gives us the choice to act selflessly or selfishly… which is sometimes the easier option. When we serve others, it humbles us and reminds us of the bigger picture in life.

There’s a story in the Bible that tells of a time when Jesus humbled himself and served his disciples by washing their feet. John 13:5 says, “After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.”

Then Jesus said, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

This story is so important because it shows how even Jesus Christ humbles himself and puts others’ needs before his own. If even Jesus, who is greater than all the earth, can practice selflessness in even the hardest of times, then we should do so, too.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship.” – Romans 12:1

Have you ever thought of serving others as a form of worship? God notices when we take our own needs and wants and sacrifice them for others. It’s not always what we want to do, but it’s something that changes our mindsets and our hearts to reflect how Jesus wants us to think toward others… no strings attached, not hoping for something in return.

Consider all of this the next time someone asks you for a simple favor or something even bigger. Think the way God wants us to and extend a hand to the people you normally wouldn’t. A serving heart is a happy heart!

Whether you’re feeling lonely, anxious, depressed, or anything below average, you know that common feeling of a pit in your stomach and a head filled of wandering thoughts. These emotions…

Whether you’re feeling lonely, anxious, depressed, or anything below average, you know that common feeling of a pit in your stomach and a head filled of wandering thoughts. These emotions chip away at your happiness and make you start to believe the “what ifs” you’ve been telling yourself all along.

God never intended for us to feel sadness, anger, heartbreak, or any other negative emotion. But because we’re human, we feel all of these, sometimes separately and sometimes all at once. Although it may be rare to audibly hear the voice of God, we have the Bible which is the closest thing to it.

Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”

It’s easy to let your mind take control. What’s harder is replacing those thoughts with those of which that are truly lovely and praiseworthy. There is so much power in positivity and thanksgiving, so make a conscious effort to trade your bad thoughts for happy thoughts like the Bible says to!

Psalm 34:17-18 says, “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Whether you have to read this every night or even make it your phone background, do it! Knowing that the Lord is close to us in our brokenness is something that’s so comforting and reassuring. He loves us in our sad times, in our dark times, and even in our rebellious times.

For the times you feel worthless, know that God thinks just the opposite. He sees you as his perfect child that he loves and cares for more than we can even comprehend. 2 Corinthians 6:18 says, “’And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me,’ says the Lord Almighty.”

When God calls us his children, we need to fully understand what this means. God calls us his own, and he protects us, loves us, and extends his grace and mercy to us. What more could we possibly ask for?

Once again, we are human. It’s common to experience the feeling of sadness and loneliness more often than not.

Lean on HIM! Read deep into his word and feel the presence of God all around you. It’s okay to feel low and it’s okay to feel abandoned, but it’s not okay to let those thoughts take over.

Here’s a simple prayer you can pray to God when these feelings start to resurface. Say “Dear Lord, when feelings of inferiority, insecurity, and self-doubt creep into my heart, help me to see myself the way you do. Help me to recognize that I am your child, loved by you and perfect in your image. Amen.”

Use this prayer when you need it and even when you don’t. It’s a perfect reminder of how God sees us through his eyes: his perfect, beautiful, wonderful creation.

We live in such a sinful world that we don’t even think about the sin surrounding us daily. Sin is such a part of our lives that half the time…

We live in such a sinful world that we don’t even think about the sin surrounding us daily. Sin is such a part of our lives that half the time we don’t even realize we’re doing anything wrong in the first place.

Think of the last time you gossiped or got angry with someone. You probably didn’t even consciously think about the fact that you could be sinning by doing so.

Although we’re not perfect, Jesus has given us the free, undeserving gift of forgiveness and mercy. We are sinful people living in a sinful world, yet there is so much love and grace in store for us.

There’s a song called What a Beautiful Name by Hillsong Worship and there’s a line that I fell in love with the first time I heard it. The lyric says, “my sin was great, your love was greater,” and that has always stuck with me since I heard it. We often get so wrapped up in our own sin that we forget how powerful the love of God is.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

Once you’ve been redeemed by Christ, you are no longer drowning in sin. You’re a new creation, made pure and perfect in his sight. We oftentimes beat ourselves up for the sins we’ve committed. I know I do at least! But knowing that I am forgiven and made blameless in his sight gives me the hope I need for the days to come.

Psalm 103:12 says, “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”

Think about the significance of this verse. The east to the west is never ending. It goes on and on and never stops. God removes our sins from us and never thinks of them again. In Micah 7:19, it says, “You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” To think our Heavenly Father forgets the wrongs we’ve done against him is amazing and something we are so undeserving of.

It’s natural to feel regret and pain for the things we’ve done in our life, but we can’t forget who our creator is. His love is so big and so wide, and he wants us to know the depth of his mercy and forgiveness.

If we don’t think God truly forgives us for what we’ve done in the past, then we don’t know who God is at all. Have faith and dive deeper into what is character really is. He is merciful, loving, caring, and perfect in all that he is.

I’ll leave you with a quote I found that gave me a peace over my heart. It says, “God is not waiting to love you until you have overcome your weaknesses and bad habits. He loves you today with a full understanding of your struggles” – Dieter F. Uchtdorf.

Write this on your mirror, make this your phone background, put it on a sticky note on your dashboard. Read it and believe it. God’s love overcomes all sin, today and every day!

Grace is a word that I’ve heard time and time again. But if you were to sit three people down and ask them to define it, you would probably get…

Grace is a word that I’ve heard time and time again. But if you were to sit three people down and ask them to define it, you would probably get three different answers.

A lot of people think grace is the same thing as forgiveness. Although it may be similar at times, there’s more to grace then just forgiving a person for something they did wrong.

A lot of people think grace is the same thing as mercy. Once again, although it may be similar, grace is more than simply showing mercy to someone who may not deserve it.

If you want the dictionary’s definition of grace, it defines it as “the free and unmerited favor of God.” In other words, God’s free, unearned, undeserved favor. What’s more beautiful than that?

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”

In other words, we have been saved by Jesus Christ because God had favor on His children. He loves us so much that he sent his son to save us. We have his divine favor that is given to us as his perfect gift. According to the verse, we can’t be saved through pointless works and deeds. We can only be saved through our faith in Him!

2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

After knowing the true definition of grace, these verses make me smile. God, the creator of the entire universe, gives us His favor. This verse from Corinthians is one of my favorites because it explains that even though we are weak, through Him we are strong.

We can boast about our weaknesses because we have God’s favor and power over us, which is far greater than any weakness that tries to bring us down.

There’s a quote about God’s grace that has always stuck with me. It says, “You may not think that you’re good enough, but God’s grace and love are bigger than who you think you are.”

We are so undeserving of God’s grace, but he gives it to us freely, without thought, especially when we don’t deserve it.

With the grace of God, we are unstoppable.

Think of what this means for you. Knowing you have God’s favor over your life, where will you go from here? Take note of the weaknesses in your life and remember you have the power of God resting in you. Let the grace of God lead you into something great.

What’s easy and what’s right can oftentimes go hand-in-hand. These situations are easy to approach knowing that the right thing to do is also going to be the easy thing…

What’s easy and what’s right can oftentimes go hand-in-hand. These situations are easy to approach knowing that the right thing to do is also going to be the easy thing to do.

The situations that take you doing the right thing when it isn’t always the easiest, now these are the situations where your boldness comes in.

God talks about this in the Bible, over and over again. As a Christian, we will face persecution for the things we say and do. What God wants for us will more times than not differ from what the world wants for us.

Eventually, there comes a choice. How will you know which choice is honoring God and which is for your own benefit? There are several verses that talk about how we can live and decide through godly wisdom.

Colossians 3:17 says, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

When you’re stuck at a crossroad, you should ask yourself this question: What would Jesus want me to do? Think of the best possible way you could honor him.

Not just in what you do, but in what you say. In word and in deed, we should always think of how Jesus would respond to the situation. It can be hard to go out of your way to apologize to someone that doesn’t deserve it, but in the end, what’s right is showing mercy and grace to those who most definitely don’t deserve it!

Ephesians 5:15-20 says, “Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”

God makes it very clear to us in the Bible that our days are numbered. We never know how many more opportunities we have to display the light and love of God through our lives.

If making the most of every opportunity means showing kindness and love in every situation, then we should do just that. Just because it’s not the easiest thing to do, doesn’t mean it’s not the right thing to do.

I once saw a quote that puts it perfectly: “Keep a good attitude and do the right thing even when it’s hard. When you do that you are passing the test. And God promises you your marked moments are on their way.”

Think of life as a time filled with many tests. We should want God to be proud of our actions and who we are when the world isn’t looking.

So, do good, be good, and spread goodness. At the end of the day, people will remember the times you did the right thing instead of the easy thing, every single time.

Being a follower of God isn’t supposed to be easy, that’s why God calls us to a life so much greater than this. Listen to his word and his wisdom and apply it to your life. You’ll feel content, rewarded, and an all-around better person at the end of the day!

With age comes wisdom. And with knowledge of God’s word comes godly wisdom. Although wisdom is a good quality to have, godly wisdom is even more important. Knowing what God’s…

With age comes wisdom. And with knowledge of God’s word comes godly wisdom.

Although wisdom is a good quality to have, godly wisdom is even more important. Knowing what God’s word says and how we can apply it to our lives is crucial as a follower of Christ.

Although we might be young, age isn’t the only thing that brings upon wisdom. We can dive into God’s word now and gain the knowledge and wisdom he wants so badly for us to have!

James 3:17 says, “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

Let’s break this verse down piece-by-piece.

PURE

Our wisdom should be shown through the way we live our lives. What does God mean when he talks about pure wisdom? He wants us to live selflessly and holy, striving toward purity from sin.

PEACE-LOVING

He also wants us to strive toward peace. Use your wisdom to know what’s worth investing your time in and what’s not. Be wise about gossip, drama, or any situation involving conflict. Be slow to speak and quick to encourage peace.

CONSIDERATE

Next, comes being considerate. Taking into account the feelings of others and showing sympathy in the right situations spurs from godly wisdom. We should strive toward caring for other people before caring for ourselves.

SUBMISSIVE

What exactly does submissive mean when it comes to wisdom? We should be submitting to God’s authority and obeying by the rules he lays out for us in his Word. We shouldn’t be picking and choosing which of God’s rules we want to follow! He lays out everything for a reason, hand-picking each thing to advise us with.

FULL OF MERCY

What exactly is mercy? It’s defined as an act of kindness, compassion, or favor shown toward an offender or an enemy.

If you thoroughly study the Word of God, then you know He wants us to be full of mercy and compassionate toward others. The true test of wisdom is knowing how to forgive others and treat them maturely as Jesus would.

IMPARTIAL AND SINCERE

Lastly, God wants us to be fair, just, and honest. You know someone is wise by the way they carry themselves and the way they treat others.

If we treat others with fairness and honesty, they’ll most likely treat us the same. Sincerity is so important, and the more we see how Jesus treated his people throughout the Bible, the more we can see how we should treat others, as well!

I have one more important thought to leave you with:

Proverbs 4:7 says, “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.”

Whatever you do, find wisdom. Engage in God’s Word and discover the true understanding of who He is and what He wants for your life.